Many saints were contemporaries of Louis IX, such as St. Francis of Assisi, St. Dominic, St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Albert the Great.
St. Louis IX was born on this day in 1214. He became the only French king to be proclaimed a saint. He was a devout Catholic, which can be seen both from the material evidence and the testimonies of his contemporaries. Louis IX had 12 siblings, including the very important Charles of Anjou (also known as Charles I of Naples), founder of the Angevin dynasty.
Louis IX was crowned the French king already at the age of 12 because his father died relatively young. He remained on the throne from 1226 until 1270 – a long reign of almost 43 years. His lifetime coincided with what is often considered the peak of the European Middle Ages. Many saints were contemporaries of Louis IX, such as St. Francis of Assisi, St. Dominic, St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Albert the Great. Other famous contemporaries included Marco Polo and Dante.
Many places in the world were named after Louis IX, such as St. Louis on the Mississippi river and San Luis Potosí in Mexico. A portrait of Louis IX hangs in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol. In religious art, St. Louis IX is usually depicted with Christ’s Crown of Thorns in his hands.
